Stacking apparatus



A. M. wlcKwlRE, JR., ETAL 2,345,645

STACKING APPARATUS Filed July 31, 1940 3 Sheets-Shet l April 4, 1944.

A131414, 1944 A. M. w|cKw|RE,.-1R,' ETAL l 2,345,645

STACKING APPARATUS Filed July'l, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATToRNE April 4 944 A. M. wlcKwlRE, JR., ET AL 2,345,645

STACKING APPARATUS Filed July 31,21940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 y INVENToRs J 4er/fw? M MC/rW//PEl J/a.

ATToRNEf Patented Apr. 4, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE s'rAoKING APPARATUS Application July 31, 1940, Serial No. 348,654

7 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for stacking various articles, and aims to provide an improved apparatus for arranging a plurality of rectangular wall boxes in a substantially horizontally disposed nested stack as said boxes are ejected from a forming machine one by one in a substantially horizontal positionwith the open side of each box facing upwardly.

In the manufacture of paper board boxes, there are now available machines for making rectangular wall boxes in set up form ready to have goods placed therein. These machines usually include some electing device which moves the nished box from the machine so that they may be delivered singly into any convenient receptacle or removed one by one from the machine as they are completed, Depending upon the location of the forming apparatus and the subsequent use to which the box is to be put or operation to be performed thereon, adelivery or sta-cking apparatus for the completed boxes may be of any desired type. In the form of boxmaking machine disclosed in H. J. Goss Patent No. 1,445,940 the completed boxes are pushed up through a forming chamber by means of a plunger and delivered from the top of this chamber in an inverted horizontal position with the open side facing downwardly. This manner of delivery is suitable for use in conjunction with a box nesting apparatus such as is disclosed in H. J. Goss Patent No. 1,538,851 where, as the boxes are delivered, they are arranged in a substantially vertically disposed nested stack which may subsequently be removed as a unit and stored in any desired place. However, this form of stacking apparatus is somewhat inaccessible and is unsuitable where the subsequent operations to be performed on the boxes require that they be delivered in a horizontally disposed stack.

By our invention, we have provided an improved apparatus for arranging a plurality of open boxes in a horizontally disposed nested stack as they are ejected from the forming machine one by one in a substantially horizontal position.

In accordance with our invention, as the boxes are delivered or ejected from the forming machine one by one, they are guided to a receiving platform which is positioned substantially horizontally at the lower end of a suitably curved -guideway or channel. This guideway is arranged and constructed so that each box may be moved therethrough from the horizontally disposed platform, through an arc of substanformed.

tially ninety degrees to a delivery table and/or conveyor positioned above and forward of the platform. Means are provided for moving each box from its horizontal position on the receiving platform through the guideway to the delivery table at which it arrives in a substantially vertical position with the open side facing forward. The moving means preferably are of such a character that a box is supported at each side thereof in its movement through the curved guideway until it reaches the delivery table in a vertical position with the open side facing forward. Then the support on one side of the box is removed while continuing the forward movement of the other support an additional predetermined distance so that the other side of the box will be advanced and the box will come to rest on the delivery table in an angular position. The next box is moved through the curved guideway in substantially the same manner, but when it arrives in vertical position at the delivery table, the side opposite the advanced side of the first box is moved forward so that the said second box comes to rest in a nested position behind the rst box. The next following box is moved in the same Vmanner as the first box and so on until a substantially horizontally disposed nested stack is The movement of each box to a vertical position on the delivery table may be used for advancing the entire horizontal stack. However, we have found it preferable, particularly when the boxes are constructed of rather heavy paper board, to provide a conveyor means for the forming horizontal stack which will advance said stack a predetermined distance each time a box is delivered thereto.

The above and other features and objects of our invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of apparatus embodying the apparatus features of our invention and with which our improved method may be practiced;

Fig. 2 is a substantially vertical longitudinal sectional View through a portion of the appa ratus of Fig. 1 showing the means for moving the boxes from the horizontal platform through the curved path to the delivery table;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the path of movement of the boxes as they pass through the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. l, completed articles, which in the present instance are boxes B having four walls and an open side and a bottom, are formed or fabricated in a suitable forming machine F and ejected or delivered therefrom into a slide I which directs the nished boxes to a horizontally disposed receiving platform I2 forming part of our improved stacking apparatus S. The speed of operation of the stacking apparatus is suitably timed and correlated with the speed of operation of the fabricating machine F so that as the boxes B are delivered to the receiving platform I2, one by one, they may be moved by a suitable moving means I4 through a curved guideway I6 to a delivery' table I8 which may, if desired, havey associated therewith a suitable conveyor 26. The construction of the apparatus, including the moving means I4, is such that the boxes B will be moved from their horizontal position on the receiving platform l2 to a substantially vertical position on the delivery table I8 where they are nested one behind the other (see Fig. and advanced across the table to the conveyor 20 which is connected with the moving means I4 and arranged to be advanced forward a predetermined distance each time a box is delivered thereto, all as will more fully appear' hereinafter.

As best shown in Figs, 2 and 3, the stacking apparatus S comprises spaced side frames 2:2, 22 which are mounted on a suitable base or oor 24 (Fig. i) and maintained properly spaced apart and supported by means of suitable transverse supporting rods 26. A pair of vertical supporting members 26, positioned centrally between the side frames 22, 22, are provided with substantially flat and horizontal shoulders 36 for supporting the receiving platform I2. These vertical members 28 are conveniently mounted on a horizontal supporting member 32 which is secured between the side frames 22, 22 by means of angle supports 34; and said members 28 are provided with upwardlyand forwardly projecting arms 36 for supporting other operating parts of rthe apparatus. The upper end of each arm S6 is substantially horizontally disposed and is attached to the upper end of one of a pair of vertically positioned angle bars 38 by means of screws 46. lAngle bars 38y are also supported on the horizontal member 32 and secured thereto in anyV convenient manner, such as by means of angles 42.

, Delivery table I6, which is positioned above and forward of the receiving platform I2 as indicated in Fig. 2, comprises a channel member having side iianges d4, which serve to prevent the boxes B frombeing displaced, and a base 46 which has its inner end mounted on the upper end of the vertical angle bars 68 and its outer end supported by means of suitable bracesrli extending angularly downward therefrom to the vertical angle bars S8.

The curved guideway I6, which defines the path of the boxes B between the receiving platform I2 and the delivery table i6, comprises a base substantially as wide as the boxes B having a lower curvedportion 56 extending upwardly and forwardly from the receiving platform i, to which it may be secured in any convenient inanner, and a'straightl angular portion 52 extending from the curved portion to the right hand end of the delivery table I8. The straight portion 52 of the member I6- is provided with a horizontally disposed upper end 54 which is positioned between the bottom of the delivery table I8 and the horizontal portion of the arm 36 for attachment thereto. The guideway I6 may be provided with side walls or flanges 56 for preventing the displacement of the boxes B in their travel through said guideway from the receiving platform I2 to the delivery table I3. It will be apparent that when one of the boxes B is positioned as indicated in dot dash lines in Fig. 2 and moved upwardly and forwardly over the curved portion '58 and the straight angularly disposed portion 62 to the delivery table I8, it will pass through an angle of substantially and will arrive at the delivery table I8, as indicated, in a substantially vertical position. A suitable cover member 58 shaped to conform substantially to the path of movement of the boxes from the receiving platform I2 to the exit end of 'the delivery table I3 may be provided, if desired, and held in proper position by means of an attaching bracket 66 mounted on one of the supporting cross bars 26 and a special arm or bracket secured to another of the cross bars 26. Suitable side guards or covers 6I and 63, partially circular in shape, may also be provided for the entire stacking apparatus S, if desired.

In order to move the boxes B one after another, as they are ejected from the forming unit, from the receiving platform i2 t0 the delivery table i8 in the manner just described, we have provided the special moving means I4 which will now be described. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the moving means I4 comprises a pair of members each having four arms 64 spaced substantially 90 apart and extending outwardly from a hub 66 which is secured to a shaft 68 journalled in suitable bearings I6 provided in the side frame members 22. Shaft 6B is rotated in any convenient manner in timed relation with the operation of the box forming unit F and the number of arms 64 provided is such that one will pass the receiving platform l2 each time that a box B is delivered thereto from the guide Ill associated with the forming unit F. It will be apparent that since there are four arms 64 on each side of the machine, each equipped in a manner to be described for picking up its respective side of the boxes B, the speed of rotation of the shaft 68 will be approximately one-fourth the speed of operation of the forming unit F.

At the outer end of each arm 64 an elongated pin or rod 'l2 is rotatably mounted in a pair of spaced lugs 14, 16, the lug 'i4 being mounted at the extremity of the arm and the lug 'i6 being spaced inwardly toward the shaft 66. A locking collar T8 is provided on the end of the pin 'I2 which projects beyond the lug 'I6 and a pick-up paddle or blade member 66 is pinned to the rod 'I2 between the lugs I4 and 16 and arranged so that the blade thereof extends inwardly or toward the vertical angle bars 38 shown in Fig. 3. The blades 86 are resiliently urged and maintained in the Fig. 3 position by means of torsional springs 62 encircling the pins l2 and having one end fixed in the adjacent lug 'I4 and the other end fixed in a, locking collar 84 and held in proper position on the pin 'I2 by means of a set screw 86. By loosening the set screw 86 and rotating the collar 84 the tension of the spring 82 may be adjusted andregulated to hold the paddle or blade 86 in proper position with the desired amount of force.

In Fig. 2 it will be noted that the position of the blades 86 on the arms 64 is such that, as said Aarms are rotated, the blades will pass through suitable openings 87 Fg.' 5) provided in the receiving platform l2 and engage opposite sides of one of the boxes B that may be positioned thereon. Continued movement of the arms 64 which have engaged one of the boxes B will cause said box to be moved through the guide member I8 to the delivery table |8. In order to release the moved box B in an angular 'position across the delivery table |8 so that a subsequently moved box B may be nested therewith, the pin 'l2 of each left-hand arm 64 (Fig. 3) is provided with an extension 88 to which a blade actuating member 90 is secured in any convenient manner. The pin 12 adjacent each associated arm 64 at the righthand side of the apparatus (Fig. 3) has a blade actuating member 92 mounted on the end thereof directly adjacent the lug 14 so that said actuating member 92 passes through a cylindrical path during rotation f the shaft 68 which is of smaller diameter than the cylindrical path traced by the associated actuating member 90 opposite thereto. Each of the associated pairs of arms 84 is provided with a pair of blade actuating members 90 and 92 similar to those just described but they are alternately arranged on said arms; that is, each of the two pairs of arms 64 occupying the substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 has an actuating member 92 in the place 0f the actuating member 90, and the extended pin portion 88 and actuating blade 90 on the right-hand side in place of the actuating member 92.

These actuating members 90 and 92 each coact with an arcuate-shaped cam 94 which is supported at the upper end thereof by means of a bracket 98 attached to the cross bar 26 and toward the lower end thereof by means of a brace 98 attached to the angular supporting members 48 for the delivery table I8. There is one cam 94 for each of the sets of arms 64 and each is positioned adjacent the associated set of arms and arranged in the upper left-hand quadrant (Fig.

,12 to be rotated to a position where the blade 80 will be free of the box B which is at the time being moved to the delivery table I8. However, the portion |00 of each cam 94 is not in the path of the actuating member 92, so that the other side of the particular box B will continue its movement along the delivery table until said actuating member 92 abuts a lower portion |02 of its associated cam 94. This will cause the member 92 to be moved so as to rotate the pin 12 and the blade 80 associated therewith to a position where said blade is out of the path of the box B. It will be understood that this particular action of the blades 39 for an associated pair of the operating arms 64 will cause the particular box B which has been moved to the delivery table by the blades 80 to assume an angular position with one edge (that being moved by the blade 8%) associated with an actuating member 92) more advanced than the other edge; and, since the next pair of arms 84 has the actuating members 90 and 92 oppositely arranged thereon, the opposite edge of the next box B which is moved thereby will be moved to the advanced position so that said next box may be nested into position behind the previous box B. After a box has been completely released from the pair of blades 80 by the action of the cam 94, said blades will remain in in operative position until the actuating members 90 and 92 move out of contact therewith in the lower left-hand quadrant of the path of movement of the operating arms 64 (Fig. 2).

It will be observed from the position of the portions and |02 of the cams 94 with respect to the right-hand end of the delivery table I8 that each box B will be released completely in its angular position at the edge of said delivery table and slightly overhanging said edge. As the next subsequent box B is moved up the guideway I5, the lower side thereof will hook under the projecting corner of the rst box, the at angularly disposed portion 52 of the guideway |8 assuring such action. It is desirable to complete the movement of the second box into a vertical position rather abruptly when it reaches this point. For this purpose, We have provided a trap door |94 in the portion 52 of the guideway IB. This trap door |04 is provided with a suitable pivot |88 on the underside of the upper end thereof which is rotatably mounted in the arms 36, said trap door |04 being normally held in inoperative position coincident with the portion 52 by means of a spring |08 attached at'one end to a lug ||0 provided on the underside of the door |04 and at its other end to one of the vertical members 38. The trap door |04 is moved to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2, to complete the movement of each box B into vertical position, by means of an actuating lever ||2 the upper free actuating end of which engages the lower side of Asaiddoor adjacent the pivot |06.

As shown in Fig. 4, the lower end of the lever ||2 is rotatably mounted on a suitable pivot pin I I4 which is secured in a substantially horizontal position between the lower ends of the upwardly extending arms 38 of the vertical supporting member 28. At the central portion thereof said lever ||2 is provided with a suitable roller ||B which is arranged to engage a cam ||8 mounted on the shaft 68 and provided with high points |20 of suitable configuration and number to move the arm ||2 upwardly and cause the trap door |84 to assume the horizontal Fig. 2 position each time a box B is moved to a position directly adjacent the right-hand end of the delivery table i8. It will be apparent that the spring |08 indirectly operates to maintain the roller ||6 in contact with the cam ||8 so that the high points |20 wiil cause the desired actuation of the trap door |04. It will also be understood that the conguration of the cam I8 and the high points |20 thereof is such that the trap door |04 will be moved back into coincidence with the at portion 52 of the guideway I6 prior to the movement or another box B over said guideway.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the operation of the apparatus thus far described and the movement of the boxes B from their horizontal position on the receiving platform I2 into vertical position in a horizontally disposed nested stack on the delivery table I8 will be readily understood. The blades 90 of the operating arms 64 cause the forward movement of the boxes and the release of said blades by the cams 94 and actuating members 90 and 92 effects the angular disposition of the boxes on the table i8 so that they may be nested one behind another. As a box B is pushed by the blades 80 into nested position behind a previously moved box, it will move the horizontally forming stack along the delivery table a predetermined distance approximately equal to one half the depth of one of the boxes.

As mentioned above, due tothe weight of the boxes, particularly when they are constructed of a heavy paper board, we nd it desirable to provide the conveyor 26 at the exit or left-hand end of the delivery table I8. As shown in Fig. l, this conveyor comprises a suitable endless belt, or plurality of belts |22 which are arranged to rotate about a right-hand roller |24 positioned adjacent the exit end of the delivery table I8 and a left-hand roller |26 which is so positioned that the upper reach of the belt |22 denes a substantially horizontal conveying path which may, if desired, be provided with side guides |28 for maintaining the horizontally forming stack in propel' position thereon. The side guides |28 are supported in proper position by means of braces l 3D extending upwardly from a substantially horizontally disposed supporting member |32 and the shafts of the rollers 22 and |26 are jour# nalled in suitable bearings |34 mounted on said horizontal member |32. The entire conveyor is maintained in proper position adjacent the delivery table I8 by means of suitable vertical supports or legs |33.

Rotation of the rollers 26 and |24 and movement of the conveyor belts |22 the desired predetermined distance each time a box B is delivered to the delivery table i8 is eiiected by means of a suitable ratchet mechanism or one way clutch associated with the shaft of the roller |26 and actuated in timed relation with the rota tion of the shaft 68. As shown in Fig. l, a down wardly extending crank arm |36 having an elongated slot |38 therein is connected by means of link |40 with the upper end of a lever |42 pivoted at |44 to one of the supporting legs E33 of the i conveyor 20 beneath the roller ll. The lever |122 is given an oscillatory movement which is transmitted to the crank arm |36 through link |49 by means of a link |46 which is connected at its left-hand end to the lever |2 at the central portion thereof and at its right-hand end is pivotally connected to the upper free end of a cam actuated lever |48 which is pivotally mounted upon a suitable stub shaft or pivot pin |50 mounted in the vertical support 28 as shown in Fig. 4, A cam roller |52 is mounted in the oen-` tral portion of the arm |48 and arranged to bear against a cam |54 having suitable operating high points |56 which are of such conguration and number as to effect an oscillating movement in the lever |43 each time that a box B is delivered to the delivery table |8. Roller |52 is maintained in proper engagement with the cam |54 by means of a spring pressed plunger |58 mounted on the outside of the associated vertical support 23 and connected to the operating lever |48 below said roller |52. Thus, each time the lever |48 is oscillated by contact of the roller E52 with the cam and the high points iEG thereof, the oscillating movement will be transmitted through link M6, lever |46 and link lill? to the crank arm |36. The arrangement of the parts is such that the clock-V wise portion of the oscillating movement of lever |48 will effect a counter-clockwise movement of the shaft of the roller l 26 through the slip clutch or ratchet mechanism associated therewith to advance the belt |22 in a forward direction, or to the left in Fig. l, a distance approximately equal to one-half the depth of one of the boxes as indicated in Fig. 5. The distance that the belt |22 moves for each actuation of the lever |48 may be adjusted by varying the position of the left-hand end of the link itil in the slot |36 provided in the crank arm |36. In this manner, the horizontal stack of nested boxes forming on the delivery CII table and on the conveyor belt |22 will be automatically moved along step by step the desired predetermined distance each time a box is delivered to the delivery table by means of the moving means |4.

Although we have described a specific embodiment of our invention particularly adapted for the nesting of open rectangular wall boxes, it will be readily understood that many features of our invention will have general utility in the stacking of various types of articles other than boxes or box covers. Moreover, various changes may be made in the apparatus, and certain features may be employed without others without departing from our invention or sacricing any of its advantages.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for arranging a plurality of open boxes and the like in horizontal nested stacks as they are ejected from a forming machine one by one in a substantially horizontal position with the open side of each box facing upwardly, comprising means for engaging the edges of one side of a box and moving said box from its horizontal ejected position to a vertical position with the open side facing forward in the direction of movement of said box; and means for disengaging the moving means from one side of the box while continuing the movement of the other side so that the boxv will come to rest in an angular position.

2.. In a stacking apparatus, a substantially horizontally disposed support, means for guiding articles from a forming machine to said support, means for engaging the edges of one side of an article and moving said article from its horizontal position on said support to a vertical position above and forward of said support, and means cooperating With said moving means for disengaging such moving means from one side of the article While continuing the movement of the other side so that the said article will assume an angular position.

3. In a stacking apparatus, an article-receiving platform; a delivery table disposed above and forward of said platform; a guidevvay extending between said platform and said delivery table; and means for moving articles, through said guideway, from said platform to said delivery table, said guideway having a movable section adjacent said delivery table which operates in timed relation with said moving means for assisting the movement of each article from the end of said guideway to said delivery table.

4. In a stacking apparatus, a substantially horizontally disposed article-receiving platform adapted to receive and support articles fed thereto from a forming machine; a delivery table disposed above and forward of said platform; and a pair of moving arms having blades rotatably mounted at the ends thereof which are adapted to engage one side of an article adjacent each end of said side so that said article may be moved by said arms from said platform to said delivery table.

5. In a stacking apparatus, a substantially horizontally disposed article-receiving platform adapted to receive and support articles fed thereto from a forming machine; a delivery table disposed above and forward of said platform; a pair of moving arms, each having a movable blade at the end thereof, which :blades are adapted to engage one side of an article adjacent each end of said side so that said article may be moved `by said arms from said platform to said delivery table; and means for moving said blades to release said article on the delivery table.

6. In a stacking apparatus, a substantially horizontally disposed article-receiving platform adapted to receive and support articles fed thereto from a forming machine; a delivery table disposed above and forward of said platform; a pair of moving arms each having a movable blade at the end thereof, which blades are adapted to engage one side of an article adjacent each end of said side so that said article may be moved by said arms from said platform to said delivery table; and means for moving said blades to release said article on the delivery table, said last-mentioned means being arranged to move the blade on one arm to a releasing position before so moving the blade on the other arm.

7. In a stacking apparatus, an article-receiving platform; a delivery table disposed above and forward of said platform; a guideway extending between said platform and said delivery table and having a section adjacent said delivery table which is adapted to move from the plane of said guideway to the plane of said delivery table means for moving articles over said guideway from said platform to said delivery table; and means operating in timed relation with such moving means for causing the movable section of said guideway to move from the plane of said guide- Way to the plane of said delivery table each time an article is passed over said movable section.

ARTHUR M. WICKWIRE, JR. ARTHUR P. BAMFORD. 

